Sunday, January 31, 2010

Annick Goutal Un Matin d'Orage: Revisted

This kicks off my week-long tribute to the House of Annick Goutal ~ DAY 1

I already reviewed Un Matin d’Orage (UMdO) last year but this was back when I’d worn it only about 3 times (3 full days). Now a year has passed and I’ve worn UMdO several more times and I must say it’s a glorious fragrance.

I had it right in my first review, that UMdO is about wetness and warmth rising from soil. I find it odd that people can take away dryer sheets from this but our perspectives are so different. To me, this is the exact opposite of anything synthetic and reminiscent of dryer sheets. It’s so real, natural, clean (yes, soil can smell clean) and pristine. I absolutely adore the effect of damp soil and stones. And, just like the marketing copy suggests, this is a Japanese garden, it’s minimalist, delicate and perfectly balanced. Unlike the marketing copy I don’t think UMdO smells of heat and humidity but more along the lines of a temperate day; a cool morning with a slightly warm, breezy and comfortable day ahead.

Doyen does a marvelous job capturing the sweetness of gardenia but she avoids over-the-top sweetness with the addition of magnolia and champaca. There is a crisp freshness to this gardenia accord and it is divine. Un Matin d’Orage is aquatic but this is “just after the thunderstorm” aquatic and not merely the suggestion of water. I can scarcely think of another fragrance where the aquatic nature is rendered so beautifully. Hermes Apres La Mousson has an aquatic nature but here it is blended with swampy vetiver and fruits. Un Matin d’Orage showcases a garden of dewy gardenia, jasmine and magnolia against a backdrop of wet stones and soil. Stunning.

I don’t often like fragrances which evoke melancholy or somber moods but UMdO gives me a wistful feeling that I quite like. There’s something reflective, quiet, solitary and thoughtful about UMdO and for a change I enjoy this quality.

Un Matin d’Orage is one of Annick Goutals more unusual, edgy and certainly not-for-mainstream-tastes fragrances. I looked around at other reviews and noticed reactions differ a great deal.

For reference, here’s the marketing copy from Annick Goutal:

Imagine yourself in a Japanese garden – a family garden, surrounded by dozens of delicate trees, grapefruit and hundreds of bushes of gardenias. It’s early morning, the day after a thunderstorm. Imagine the drops of the rain on the leaves with the sun breaking through the cloud. The scent of the white gardenia is strong. With the humidity and heat, the scent emanates from the ground.

PS: While I'm becoming a collector of Annick Goutal Limited Edition bottles, there is something about this butterfly bottle I just don't like. I don't think the frosted white color is as lovely as others I've seen. But I still like all the AG butterfly bottles in general, I just don't need this one ;)

2 comments:

I only have a sample vial, and while I liked it a lot (to be honest, probably more than Songes), I felt I'd need a good spritzing to really get to know it - and then I got distracted by all the other stuff I hadn't smelled, and didn't follow up.

Maybe this spring I'll snag a small decant and live with that for awhile. I did really like that aquatic character combined with the transparent florals and leafy stuff.

Re the bottle: I like the frosted white - I think it's the gold top that makes it look somewhat cheap (although I know it's definitely not!). It might be better with a frosted-glass stopper. I did think the color of the Ninfeo Mio bottle was just stunning - maybe a very, very, very pale green would have been the right color for Matin d'Orage.

This is the only AG fragrance that I own or wear. Stunning, and I agree with your assessment of it as "edgy." I find it to be an unconventional floral, made interesting by the wet earthiness and the tomato plant leaf in the top notes. I only wish it lingered longer! Reminds me of summers on the East Coast, in a vegetable garden after a rain...lovely.